Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-07-01
The Hay Harvest.


Farmers are now beginning the work
If the hay harvest, by far the most i'm
portant crop grown in Maine; and with
this the harvesting season is continued
without interruption until the cool wealth
err of autumn finds all the crops garnered
" within the farmers bins and storehouses.
For succeeding the hay harvest comes
the early grain, then the late grain, after
that corn and then the fruit and root crops.
so from now onward the work OF the
firm, throughout the season, will be one
If in gathering.
Having is not the extreme. exacting la
Dor it was score OF years ago. The me-
chancal powers have taken the place OF
he manual. and hand labor has been su-
perscded by horse power by these APP
planes the conditions of work in secur-
Nc this crop are more within the control
Of the farmer than ever before. The
period OF the work is not only shortened,
hut the work may be kept up ia hand bet
ter and thus done more economically.
The one contingent about which the far
mer can make no plans. and which
causes more loss and injury to the crop
tnan ali else is that OF weather. When a
farmer has ample machines tor securing
the grass crop. mowers, rakes. hay racks.
etc. and good crew of men. apportioned
to the amount of hay to be secured, he is
enabled to- take advantage of the weather !;
and if he be prudent in not cutting any
day more grass than his men can handle,
in case the weather should turn unfavor
ably. he is all right. On large
rms. where a hundred tons or more
of hay are cut. farmer can hardly have
too many implements. That is TO say,
the expense of ar extra hay-rack will often
in single season OF catching" weather
be paid for four fold in the amount of hay
it will save from injury during one shower.
On one large farm in Somerset county
which We visited last summer, the owner
had four hay racks. and if large amount
Of hay was to be hauled in, time was
saved in not being obliged to unload, and
i a shower threatened, n field could be
barn floor or Under an open shed, and by
not waiting to pitch off. secure four tons
or more, when with only one rack. Two or
three tons might have to remain out in a
shower at considerable loss.
The period of commencing the hay har-
vest is one which each farmer must decide
for himself, considering the condition of
the weather. his own fields and the char
acter of the grass. But IN general farmers
favor a more early commencement of cut
ting than formerly. On some farms where
a small amount of hay only. is cut, the
entire crop is harvested by the 18th of
July II the fields are old. and AS is often
, The case with old fields. full of ox-eve
daisy, they should be cut very earlv-we
mean by the yely first of July. If dry
hay season occurs. and grass is shrinking
in the field, hurry up the harvest; if moist
and grass is thiCkening up at the
bottom with the fine growth
50 much relished by cattle. let it
grow jus, so long as this gain in bulk
goes on. These things the good farmer
will keep in mind all the time. choosing
he field he will cut first and m succeed
ing order, and putting the different quail
ties OF hay in such bands or mows in his
barn that he can teed it to sheep. mich
cows, horses or Young stock, Just as the
wants of his animals require during the
| period of winter feeding
We have Thoughts much on the cost per
acre. or per ton, of securing the hay
crop, and it is an interesting thing for
farmers to figure out each for themselves
which we fear they seldom do. From
much inquiry among good farmers we
are inclined to the belief that the cast
will not fall much below $500 per ton.
Have our readers ever figured it to see
how tar from correct this sum appears F?
1t not we wish YOU would do so. and give
US the result.
1t is to be hoped that ere many years
the weather service of the nation will be.
come so much perfected that farmers
everywhere may have the benefit OF the
signal ststions to warn them of approacb.